Ceremony & Reception: Stevenson Ridge  |  Catering: Caroline Street Catering  |  Flowers: Heaven Scent Florist  |  DJ/Musician: Mike Wheelahan, personal friend  |  Cake: Eileen’s Bakery   |  Hair & Makeup: Julie Ricketts of Downtown Salon

Grateful to have my friend Tori Watson along for the day to help me out!

These two. There are no words to express how happy I am for them, or how privileged I feel to shoot their wedding. They are both dear friends, and it was the kindest gift ever to finish out the 2012 wedding season watching such sweet friends get married. 

Devin & Samantha. How do I begin to describe what it feels like to watch a dear friend fall in love? How do I begin to describe the joy and excitement experienced while waiting for the two of them in the kitchen at Devin’s house, knowing that he’d just proposed, knowing that they would shortly walk into a room full of friends and family waiting to surprise and celebrate with them? How to describe the sheer delight of shooting their wedding?

Well, there aren’t really words. Just lots and lots of pictures. Enjoy.

Devin’s brother designed their invitation, announcement, and wedding program. I’m absolutely obsessed with the wording— “[The parents] request the honor and pleasure of your presence in celebrating the joining together of Samantha Jane McMahon to Devin Trey Wilkins in the Gospel portrait of marriage.” Perfect, perfect, perfect. And it’s letterpressed. One can never go wrong with letterpressing.

Samantha’s engagement ring is a family heirloom from Devin’s… (grandmother, I think?). Talk about stunning!!!

The guys got ready at The Bull Moose, a former Bed & Breakfast that is now home to ten single men at my Church, one of which was Devin (before he married Sam). 

He’s know for his bowties. And he wears them quite well, wouldn’t you say?Samantha has the best smile in the world!!!Ready for their First Look!! Sooooo glad they chose to do one. Devin proposed on the roof of the Church, so it only made sense to do their First Look up there, as well. Doing a First Look allowed them time to connect with each other and have a few minutes alone before jumping into the craziness of the day. The First Look also gave us plenty of time for portraits!!

Sam, I adore your expressions!The Library of Congress. Such perfection.Wedding party!! All family— Devin’s dad and brothers as groomsmen, Sam’s sisters as bridesmaids. Groomsmen + ushers/good friends.Recognize this great couple??Sam’s dad has the best mustache ever.I don’t usually post family pictures here, but these are so sweet that I couldn’t help it. Her family…… and his family. (his parents are so stylish!)Art Deco all the way. Again, looooving the Art Deco details!

Ceremony: Capitol Hill Baptist Church  |  Reception: Pheonix Park Hotel  |  Invitation and Programs: Ty Wilkins  |  Wedding dress: J Crew  |  Bridesmaid’s dresses: J Crew  |  Flowers: (done by a friend)

Grateful to have my friend Julie Massie along for the day to help me out!

I was grateful to have Tori Watson along to second shoot with me. She shot some great images of the guys while I stayed with the girls. 

Scott & Kate decided to wait to see each other until the ceremony, but they still wanted a bit of time alone together… so they opted for a “First Touch.” Such a sweet moment for them!

I love how Scott’s brother & best man looks at Scott when Kate walked down the aisle. 

Favorite.

Ceremony: Capitol Hill Baptist Church  |  Reception: Clarendon Ballroom  |  Bride & Bridesmaid’s dresses: David’s Bridal

I know that we’re all still enjoying the sweetness of Autumn light and warm temperatures, but winter is just around the corner. Here is a bit of sweet inspiration and loveliness from George & Becky’s January wedding. 
Grateful to have my dear friend Rebekah Murray along with me for this wedding— her friendship and creativity are sweet helps to me.

Goodness. Gracious. This is October, and I have yet to blog a single wedding from this year. Can we say behind? Yeah. I’m behind, and frankly ashamed about it. And ashamed about how inconsistent I’ve been here on the blog, in general. I got out of my groove early in the year, and just haven’t found my way back into it. I’m looking for some consistent blog themes and topics to cover (or series to work through), both instructional and inspirational, so if any of you have any ideas for me, I gladly welcome suggestions!

But anyway… back to this wedding. Sweet, classy, beautiful, elegant. Brian & Eva’s portraits by the Capitol are some of my favorites of this year. Enjoy.

It is a well-known fact that little girls love stories, and Eppie was no exception. Every night in that magic hour between dinnertime and bedtime, Eppie made her way to her father’s side, squared her chin with determination, grabbed ahold of his knees with her little-girl hands, and scrambled up into his lap to listen to his stories.

It was the same every evening, for as long as they both could remember. She loved sitting in his lap; he loved her head nestled in the crook of his arm. She loved the sound of his voice; he, her fascinated mind. She loved stories; he loved her love of stories.

“Daddy, tell me a story,” she would say. No other words could be spoken. It was as if she held the key to an entire kingdom full of treasure, and “tell me a story” was the spell needed to enter through the gate.

It was the same every evening.

Tonight was no different than any other night. Eppie made her sacred march across the well-worn living room carpet to her father’s side, climbed into his lap, and snuggled down with a quiet sigh. But before she made her usual request, she sat in silence for several minutes looking at her hands, and obviously deep in thought. Her father watched in fascination, wondering what was going through that beautifully inquisitive mind. Her brow furrowed, then relaxed as she finally raised her large blue eyes to match his equally large and wise blue eyes. She smiled as she stared up at him, ad he wondered at the question in her expression, but she spoke only those magic words:

“Daddy, tell me a story.” 

What kind of story do you want to hear tonight? 

“A good story.”

A good story? I thought all of my stories were good. 

“No, no Daddy. I mean like at good story. You know.” She spread her hands emphatically to emphasis the importance of her words. “Like a love story.”

A good story like a love story. Hmmmm… well, well, well. This is a first. Just any old love story, eh?

Eppie’s eyes grew wide with exasperation at her father’s teasing. “Daddy!”

Okay, okay. What love story do you want to hear? A princess story, like Cinderella or Beauty & the Beast? Or a real-life story, like when Daddy & Mommy got married? 

The furrow returned to Eppie’s brow as she again looked down at her hands and again raised her eyes to match her fathers’.

“No, Daddy. I want my love story.”

Her father looked at her tenderly for several minutes before he spoke again, his rich voice deepening and mellowing with emotion.

My darling, I cannot tell you a story that has yet to be written.

____________________________________________

“Abba, tell me a story.”

It is a well-known fact that big girls, like little girls, also love stories. The big-girl Eppie is no exception. Almost every day a desire wells up inside of her to know, in a similar way that the child-Eppie wanted to know the story. Words are important, as are all the elements of a good story– joy and sorrow, love and pain, victory and defeat, loss and gain; the stark contrast between the hard times and good times make the best stories. And every night in that magic hour between saying goodnight and going to sleep, she makes her way to her Father’s side, focuses her mind with determination, and looks up into her His face.

Eppie loves her Father’s arms. She loves coming to Him with boldness, knowing that Christ intercedes for her. She loves resting her weary head in the crook of His arm and resting, as the cares of the day ease away. She loves the sound of His voice, and she delights in following after His beckoning call. She loves His stories– the ones that He weaves in her life every single day.

“Abba… dearest Father…” No other name can be spoken. To Eppie these sweet, simple, childlike words mean that she doesn’t feel the need to verbalize the wonder of His many attributes to gain His approval or sound like her relationship with Him is deeper than it already is. It is the key that unlocks the gate to the kingdom garden full of the riches of His grace in her life.

It’s the same every evening.

Tonight is no different than any other night:

“Abba, tell me a story.”

What kind of story, My child?

“A good story. A true story. A love story. You know the one…”

The same one you ask to hear every night?

“Yes! That one! Oh, it’s so good. Will You please tell it tonight?!??”

Darling, you know as well as I do that it’s too early for the part of the story that you want to hear.

“But why? You don’t have to finish writing it, do You?”

Oh, no. It was finished before the foundations of the world, since before time began.

“Then why can’t You tell it to me?”

Because I want to show you your love story, and let you live. You don’t want Me to spoil the ending for you, would you?

“No. But it’s such a good story!”

But waiting until the end is part of the story.

[sigh] “It’s just so hard to wait for it.”

Yes. Waiting is always hard. But if you know Me, and you do know Me, then you know the end well enough.

_______________________________________

“And therefore the Lord earnestly waits, expecting, looking, and longing to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who earnestly wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him- for HIs victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship.” — Isaiah 30:18, Amplified Bible

Jennifer’s sister works at Studio Red, and did most of the bridemaids’ hair herself. 

I absolutely adore Jen’s laugh.

I love that Jen went with a long veil. Sooooooo perfectly dramatic!!

This is, perhaps, the bridal shot that I am most proud of. I love how you can see every tiny detail in her dress and veil.

Jen was soooooo excited to see Josh!! First Looks are my favorite moment of a wedding day.

Oh, details. It’s the little things.

Jen is a strong, confident woman. I love this about her. I also love that, when she’s with Josh, he makes her feel safe and protected. Sweetest thing ever.

Bride’s parents. Obviously crazy in love, themselves.